"Dance-Along Nutcracker®: At Sea" sets sail for the holiday season

The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (SFLGFB) is runningg a video contest with a chance to win tickets and perform at this year’s “Dance-Along Nutcracker: At Sea!”.

“The Dance-Along Nutcracker has a long tradition of audiences participating by dancing to many of the Tchaikovsky numbers in the show,” said Artistic Director Jadine Louie. “This year, by creating and posting Dance-Along videos, our fans can win free tickets and even a chance for special participation in the show.”

To enter, participants film a video related to the Dance-Along Nutcracker, post it on YouTube, and fill out the form at www.DanceAlongNutcracker.org. Once approved, video entries are visible to the public, which can vote on their favorites. Contest judges take public input into account in deciding the winners. Video entries do not have to be nautical-themed like this year’s show. The Dance-Along website offers music samples from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite to be used as sound tracks for the video entries. Contestants may also use original music they have composed or or music obtained within the public domain.

The SFLGFB has scheduled four performances of the “Dance-Along Nutcracker: At Sea!” at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

For those who prefer dancing along with the kids, the SFLGFB presents three family- friendly performances of “Dance-Along Nutcracker: At Sea!” at 2:30pm on Saturday, December 11, and at 11:00am and 3:00pm on Sunday, December 12.

At 7:00pm on Saturday, December 11, an adult GAY-la! features queer showgirl and production company The Twilight Vixen Revue, drag king and Elvis impersonator Leigh Crow, cocktails served by cabana boys and girls from CHEER SF, a “midnight buffet” with music mixed by DJ christopher b, and Lia Metz, winner of the 2010 Bijou Burlesque Competition at Martuni’s for her burlesque rendition of the Drowsy Chaperone anthem “I Don’t Wanna Show Off No More.”

Tickets are available now at www.DanceAlongNutcracker.org. “Cruise packages” (special table seating with “oceanfront” views of the dance floor) and group discounts are available.